


The Iron Prince

by butcherza



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon Rewrite, Death, F/F, Fluff, Gore, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn, pretty much a canon rewrite, read this if you hate the canon and love aus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-11-01 12:37:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butcherza/pseuds/butcherza
Summary: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE: Laxus is a dragon slayer and a prince. He runs into Gajeel, another dragon slayer prince, while exploring the forest. They learn more about each other as they get closer, and find that they're more similar than they thought. (Lots of focus on other characters and relationships as well)





	1. The Wasted Isles

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU I've been wanting to write for a very long time. I dipped from the FT fandom for...a couple years, then came back and remembered I wanted to write this. I don't like the Fairy Tail canon very much. The way Hiro writes his characters is pretty poor, but I've already attached to them enough to be willing to write this after two years.
> 
> The first chapter is a bit brief; I want future chapters to me much longer...stay tuned!

It was a gathering of dragons.

On the eve of spring one would look up and see a wave of dragons, all headed towards the same destination. They would meet on the fields at the center of Saltara Chain, and they would celebrate until the sun set. The fields were decorated, massive pillars surrounded the circle and the encircling mountains were tagged with drawings and texts. The Saltara Chain gained a variety of nicknames over the years, one of them being the “Wasted Isles” for it’s now lack of dragons.

There were only so many dragons left, not one hundred, not even fifty. There was no more looking up in the sky and seeing hundreds of them at once annually. And instead of the gathering being cause for celebration, it was a check in to see if any of them were still alive.

The first one to arrive was the Fire Dragon King Igneel. He landed roughly, his massive, scarred wings folding as he lifted his head to look around. It was as empty as he’d expected it to be. It would certainly be a surprise to see any other dragon make it to the center before him. Not only was it empty, it was in slight ruins, with a few of the pillars cracked or fallen and broken, pieces of gold and marble everywhere. The mountains’ carvings becoming too old to make out anymore. He sighed, age weighing on him as he knelt his head down.

Igneel began to shrink into a different, human-like form. His clothes looked thrown on, not very much like a king. He didn’t show much care for the way he dressed. He didn’t show much care for most things, as he didn’t want to. Igneel took a closer look at one of the carvings. The text was eroded and nearly illegible, but he recognized the name as his own. Below it was a drawing of another dragon, whose status he couldn’t be sure of as he hadn’t seen him in decades. In this human state he may look as though he were only in his fifties, but in reality he’d been around for over four hundred years.

“He’s dead, Igneel.”

He didn’t jump in surprise. Rather, he didn’t face the other dragon who’d landed so silently behind him. Despite this the shadow dragon Skiadrum approached him, transforming into his human form as he did. “He’s been gone for a good seventy three years,” Skiadrum continued, “But I assume that number means nothing to an old dragon like you.”

“That would be a good assumption,” Igneel sighed as he turned around to finally face the man behind him. Unlike himself, Skiadrum dressed more elegantly despite the amount of black, and his hair was kempt, long and shiny, braided back into a ponytail.

Skiadrum didn’t hesitate to sneer at Igneel’s appearance. Igneel’s red hair was short and messy, almost matted. His shirt and pants baggy and ripped. “You look like a beggar,” he said.

“A beggar can look like anything,” Igneel responded, “They can be dressed in nothing or adorned with the finest of fabrics. It all depends on what they’ve been through...None of that matters to me, it hasn’t meant anything since the war.”

“The war that ended years ago?” Skiadrum rolled his eyes, “Many, many years ago, Igneel? Are you not a king?”

They were interrupted by another dragon touching down, white, almost glowing scales hard to miss. Weisslogia looked at the two and nodded in greeting before reverting into his human form. He and Skiadrum dressed like polar opposites, Weisslogia bearing all white.

“I have a fear one day you’ll just show up nude,” He spoke as he stood next to Skiadrum.

“It’s like you’re both twins from different mothers,” Igneed crossed his arms, “You know, I have to say, I wasn’t expecting either of you to arrive before Grandeeney or Metalicana.”

“Hah!” Weisslogia laughed, “You expect the iron dragon to show up at all? He does nothing but seclude himself in the mountains. He would have no desire to see anyone, human or dragon!”

All three of them had to squint their eyes as the sky seemed to get brighter. Another dragon gently fell from the clouds, rays of sunshine making her feathers sparkle as she landed. The moment she touched down she’d transformed into her human form, a long white dress taking place of her feathered wings.

She looks at the three apologetically, “Forgive me for being so late,” she spoke, “I had much to attend to.”

“Grandeeney,” Igneel grinned, “It’s good to see you.”

“At least someone’s trying to run a kingdom, no?” Skiadrum raised his eyebrows at Igneel, who only huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Metalicana has no intentions of showing up, I see?” Grandeeney asked as she looked around for the other, “Suppose I can’t be surprised. He wouldn’t without complaining.”

A few minutes of silence passed as the four tried not to stare at each other. Those minutes were filled with a sense of loneliness, the four of them being the only ones here. It was truly barren, the circle, unkempt and overgrown. Grandeeney frowned before she turned back to Igneel who happened to be lost in his own thoughts.

“You called us here for that reason, yes?”

“...” Igneel looked up at her and bit his lip, “I did…and I’m assuming this is as big as the meeting is going to get. I should start with the fact that although we’ve been here for as long as we have...we aren’t going to last very long. Personally I don’t know when the fire dragon king’s flame will finally die out, but something is telling me it will happen soon. As far as we know, we are the only dragons left. There’s one way we can preserve us as a species, and that may mean bringing up children of our own.”

“What kind of plan is that?” Weisslogia interrupted, “I doubt we can just repopulate so easily!”

“Weiss,” Grandeeney lifted a hand to stop the other, “...If Igneel is suggesting what I think he is, it may just work. Dragons may be phasing out, but we can still have our power continue to exist.”

Weisslogia blinked, “Y--you’re suggesting-!”

Suddenly there was a loud thud that caused the ground to shake. The group turned to meet two large, white pupils. This dragon glared at them, the sun shining on his iron skin, blinding the three yet unphasing Grandeeney. She looked at him with disappointment, shooting a glare back at him.

He did not revert to his human form.

“You don’t plan on staying long, Metalicana?” She asked. He exhaled sharply at her.

“Happen to hear you talking, old jackass,” He turned his attention to Igneel, “You want me to turn around and be all buddy-buddy with a human?”

“It’s only a suggestion but it just might work,” Igneed defended himself, “Raising a dragon slayer might just be the only way we can keep the history of dragons alive!”

Metalicana stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake again, “You old fool! I don’t take pleasure in humans! My kingdom is full of humans I keep as pawns! I’d kill any human outside my walls--I refuse to raise one as my child!”

“You don’t mean that,” Grandeeney sighed, “I know you far too well, Metalicana. You wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Ah?” He turned back to her, “And how do you suppose you’ll raise a dragon slayer in your kingdom? Are you not the busiest dragon alive? As for you, Igneel, are you not the laziest? You look like you’re falling apart! How could you expect yourself or any of us to raise a human of all things!?”

“I say we do it,” Skiadrum said, hand raised in the air, “We may not be kings, but you and I have plenty of space for children of our own, do we not?”

“Certainly,” Weisslogia raised his hand as well, “I’m with Igneel.”

Grandeeney smiled back at the two before raising her hand. Igneel smirked and did the same, a smug expression on his face as he turned to Metalicana. The iron dragon exhaled again, flapping his wings in frustration.

“Do what you idiots want, then,” Metalicana said before lifting himself off the ground, “Interact with the humans all you like. I’m fine keeping my magic as my own, and I’d prefer it remain that way for the rest of eternity!”

With that note, he flew away. Grandeeney turned back to Igneel. “It’s settled then. We’ll select a child worthy of our magic and train them. All of us.”

“What about Metalicana?” Skiadrum asked.

Grandeeney nodded, “Don’t worry, he’ll get involved no matter how much he protests. Like I said, I know him far too well...He’ll get jealous. Same way he got jealous over our authority and made a kingdom of his own.”

Igneel nodded but Skiadrum tilted his head. “And you’re sure about this?” He asked, “He gave himself authority over humans using fear tactics, who knows how he’d end up treating a single human child. He’s been like this since the war between humans and dragons. He’s never taken a liking to a human that didn’t show an ounce of respect for him.”

“I don’t know how it would go, no,” She admitted, “But I know it wouldn’t be anything bad. If it does I’m certain we can intervene...but in the meantime...I’m willing to give him a chance. I don’t believe Metalicana truly hates humans as he claims. He was never against them during the war. He does have a superiority complex over them, however, but he’s not the type of dragon that can’t change. I’ve seen those. He isn’t one of them.”

Grandeeney backed up into the center of the circle before transforming back into her dragon form, the sky opening up for her once again. “I suppose this means we’ll be checking up on each other more frequently. I’ll see you lot then.” She flew away, quickly disappearing into the clouds. Igneel shielded his eyes as he watched her soar out of the picture. He was grinning. Maybe he could get back on his feet with a kid in the house.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a week and Metalicana still had that thought in his mind. “A child? Hah!” He laughed to himself as he flew over the fire kingdom.

It was bustling with energy that day. As he flew he spotted Igneel in his human form. He looked a lot more proper and had quite the smile on his face. He was talking to another human, much smaller, though Metalicana noticed he was an older man. They bowed to each other and shook hands. The crowd was roaring. Metalicana groaned and turned his head away from the city until he flew out of it’s view.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered as he finally passed the walls of the Fire Kingdom. Igneel had always been friendly towards humans despite the war and despite everything Metalicana had said. Grandeeney was the same. Skiadrum and Weisslogia were seemingly indifferent, but it was enough to tick the iron dragon off.

He would fly for a while until he reached a town that looked nothing like the one he’d just passed.

It was burnt to the ground and completely abandoned. Curiously, he slowed down to observe the damage of the town. It was much worse up close. He noticed the amount of carnage; bodies left in piles or under rubble or buried under ash. He smelled something familiar, and it caused the iron dragon to freeze in his tracks.

This was the work of another dragon.

Suddenly alert, he looked around. There was nothing; no sound, no dragon in sight, but the smell lingered. If the scent was what he thought it was, it may have been the cause of this town’s destruction. After five minutes, he began to feel like he was wasting time. Before Metalicana could finally brush it off there was a sound. A wail. He looked back down to find the source of the cry, flying closer to the ground. It didn’t sound like a dragon, but he was still curious.

As expected, it wasn’t a dragon at all, but to his disappointment, it was a human. A baby. “Oh great,” He complained, “You couldn’t have died with the rest of ‘em?”

The baby continued to cry. It was covered in soot and dust. It’s voice was quite worn out. Metalicana stared at the baby for a moment before flying upwards and away from the town.

Regrettably.

The baby’s cries were stuck in his head until he caved, turning back around and flying towards the town. Metalicana made it to the broken down house where the baby was. It was still there, naked and crying. He thought about just putting it out of his misery...but something kept him from doing so.

Igneel’s words...the idea of preserving dragon magic ran though his mind again. He could make this child into a dragon slayer. A prince, even. He’d have someone to take over the Iron Kingdom when he was gone. Although he knew it would prove Igneel and Grandeeney right, and he could feel a headache coming on just thinking about it, he could not leave this baby.

Metalicana transformed into his human form, long hair getting in his face. He landed on the broken tiles and found himself surrounded by the remains of a little home, with a ruined bed and what used to be a kitchenette in the same room. He looked down in the corner where the baby was, and knelt down to take a closer look.

The baby slowly stopped crying as Metalicana placed a gentle hand on his cheek. He was weak and hungry, and he was exhausted. The dragon lifted him up gently, holding his head securely as he blinked. There was dirt and soot in his eyes. The baby rested his head on Metalicana’s shoulder and Metalicana found himself rubbing his hand through the baby’s hair gently.

Shit.


	2. Dragon Slayers Alike

He hadn’t done this since he was a kid.

Getting out of the walls of the kingdom alone was incredibly difficult, especially given his size, and especially because he was the prince. Laxus finally managed to leave and spent the afternoon exploring the forest, stretching out his legs on his own for once.

Laxus loved getting out into the woods, but he especially loved doing it alone. It wasn’t like he had no appreciation for his guards, in fact, he saw them as very close friends. The knights were always close to him, often it didn’t make him feel like a prince. Although it wasn’t always the case, Laxus grew to dislike being placed on a pedestal over them. Sometimes, though, he needed his space, and the forest provided him with that.

He knew his grandfather would find out about his disappearance before he returned but Laxus brushed it off and continued on, making his way towards a river. He expected his grandfather to berate him about not acting as ‘princely’ as he ‘probably should.’ The two argued frequently, but eventually Laxus would likely have no other choice but to take Makarov’s seat as King.

Otherwise, it would go to Makarov’s son, and neither he nor Laxus wanted that.

The water was clear and filled with fish. He could stop and go fishing, but he heard something in the bushes across the river. From those bushes emerged an adult deer. Laxus looked at it, slowly and silently drawing a bow. It was decently sized and would make for a good kill. It stood there perfectly still and Laxus had a clear shot of it’s head, but just before he released the arrow, the deer sprinted off as something in the distance began to approach.

Laxus clenched his teeth, but then looked on to see the mysterious figure stumble down the little hill on the opposite end of the river. He kept his bow drawn, staring as the other figure finally looked up from their side. Long, dark hair covered his face and his clothes were slightly tattered. He brushed the strands of hair from his face and saw the arrow pointed towards him, raising his hands up defensively before wincing in pain, grabbing his side.

Laxus put down the arrow when he realized the other was already in pain. He waded through the river to get to the other side and caught the man before he lost his footing. He was exhausted and dirty, as though he’d been out in the forest for days. Laxus couldn’t recognize him, as he didn’t look like anyone from his kingdom.

“A-are you okay?” He asked finally. The other man’s eyes flickered open and he opened his mouth in attempt to speak.

“I need to eat,” he said, his voice quite hoarse.

“Hang on,” Laxus muttered. He rested the man on the ground before sitting beside him and looking at his wound. It wasn’t too deep, but he was bleeding. Blood had seeped through his clothes. Laxus grabbed bandages out of a pouch and piece of cloth, soaking the cloth in the river before placing it on the wound.

“Shit-!” The man winced again, the chill of the water suddenly placed onto his skin and stinging his wound, “What are you doing?”

“Give me a second,” Laxus said without looking up.

After it was clean and dry, Laxus placed a bandage over it. The other man looked at his now covered wound perplexed. He looked back up at Laxus, who was just sitting beside him again.

They stared at each other. Laxus noticed the man’s face, under all that dirt and hair, had quite the number of piercings. He had a split lip and a bruise on his forehead. Laxus raised his head as he noticed the other push himself away from him slowly. He had an intimidated look on his face as though he were cornered, but there was plenty of open space for him to run away. He did not, rather he stayed where he was, now keeping his eyes off of Laxus.

“...You didn’t have to do that.” He said in a low voice.

“Do you want it to get infected?” Laxus asked. “Tell me who you are. I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“...” He looked at Laxus, biting his lip. “Gajeel,” He finally answered, “I was just...wondering, I guess.”

“Where are you from?”

“Is that any of your damn business?” Gajeel pushed himself away from Laxus, slightly, before grimacing as his side still hurt.

“I’d like to know if I can trust you or not, _Gajeel_.”

Gajeel glared at him. He helped him with his wound, sure, but could he trust him right off the bat? Exhaling, Gajeel finally admitted, “I’m...I’m from the Iron Kingdom. I’m the _prince_.”

Laxus’ eyes went wide. “You’re what? A Prince?” He repeated, “From a dragon kingdom--how did you manage to get all the way over here?”

“I walked,” Gajeel spat.

“With that?” Laxus pointed at the wound.

“...Yeah?” Gajeel sighed, “Look, I need to eat something, I ain’t gonna last that long.”

With a scowl, Laxus rummaged through his pouch. For a prince, Gajeel sure had an attitude. Admittedly there wasn’t much to eat, just a sandwich he’d gotten from the market before leaving. Gajeel stopped him, grabbing his wrist as he noticed something else in the pouch.

“That.”

“...This?” Laxus pulled out the spare arrowhead. Gajeel swiped it from him with no hesitation, popped it in his mouth and began to chew on it like it was a tough piece of meat. Laxus just stared at him, wide eyed until Gajeel swallowed the thing. Did he just eat his arrowhead? Like food?

“...So what the hell was that?” He asked.

“Not much, really, I could use some more.”

Laxus just glared at him he rolled his eyes, “I eat iron, okay? Anything iron, I eat. I’m a dragon slayer, buddy.”

No shit. He says he's the prince of a dragon kingdom, it made sense for him to be a dragon slayer. But Laxus heard nothing about the iron kingdom having a prince at all. He knew the fire dragon king had a prince and the sky kingdom had a princess, Gajeel was just a surprise. He furrowed his eyebrows at him, and Gajeel noticed the look on his face.

“What? Ah? You don’t believe me, do you?”

“After all that? Sure, but...I feel like I shouldn’t.”

“What--come on, the emblem’s right--...” Gajeel looked down at his own clothes, his face turning slightly distraught. The cloth with his kingdom’s emblem had been torn off. He breathed heavily before suddenly standing up like his wound were never there. 

“Whatever,” he muttered before walking down the rest of the hill and making his way across the river.

Laxus quickly regretted that statement. He’d only seen one other dragon slayer but he knew there were more. He certainly didn’t expect to meet one in this manner. And the guy seemed suspicious, but he also seemed...lost? He couldn’t be sure. As Gajeel started walking through the river Laxus noticed a light coming from his side. Through the torn fabric, he could see Gajeel’s skin slowly turn gray and shine around the bandage. Laxus parted his lips. Gajeel may have been telling the truth.

“...Alright, wait!” Laxus sprung up and followed him, “You’re a dragon slayer, right?...So am I.”

Gajeel stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around to meet the other who briskly made his way down the hill and into the river beside him. He eyes Laxus, looking at his massive form as he just realised how tall he was compared to himself, but he didn’t dwell on it.

“You’re a what? A dragon slayer?”

“...Yes.”

* * *

Laxus helped Gajeel walk through the woods as his wound was healing. Silently, the iron dragon slayer pointed towards something well hidden in moss and leaves. Laxus couldn’t tell what it was, but as he walked towards it, he could see a door. It was a mossy hut, made out of stone and covered in foliage. Gajeel must have been out here for a while, he figured, but what is a prince doing living out here like this?

Gajeel released from Laxus’ grip and opened the door. It was incredibly dark, the hut having no windows to let any light in. He turned on a small oil lamp, giving the room a dim lighting enough for Laxus to see just how little the space was.

A stone hut wasn’t really a home for a prince, but Gajeel was able to manage it seemed. There was a makeshift woven bed without a mattress or pillow and there were swords on the walls and scrap metal left on the floor, some of them left with bite marks. It was a cramped space, especially for Laxus who had to duck down to get through the door, but again, Gajeel didn’t complain about it. He rested on the bed without undressing, clutching his side and groaning until he laid on his back. Laxus sat on a small chair beside the bed, which also looked handmade.

“You seem like you’re pretty handy,” Laxus commented. Gajeel didn’t respond. “You make all this yourself?”

“...Yeah.”

“How long have you been out here, Gajeel?” He asked, trying to make some conversation despite the other’s obvious disinterest. He needed to get some kind of back story out of him.

“I uh...I dunno, two weeks?” Gajeel answered hoarsely, counting his fingers, “What’s it matter?”

“I wanna know who you are,” Laxus said, “You’re a dragon slayer? A prince? And you live like this? Small as it is, it’s also pretty hard to believe you build all of this in just two weeks.”

Gajeel just stared at him with tired eyes before he sighed and sat up, looking at his side. He removed the bandage covering his wound and looked at it. It was covered in iron and healing, but not as fast as he’d like. He turned to the ground for any other scraps he could eat, but he made a repulsed face at the tiny bits of metal scattered on the floor. He couldn’t possibly live on that. It also tasted terrible.

He sighed, finally speaking, “You want the reason I’m out here? Fine... _I ran away_. That dickhead of a father and his ‘expectations,’ I can’t meet ‘em. And I don’t want to. I have no interest in bein’ a prince. I like living in the woods, no one to tell me how to look or act, nothin’.”

“You spent your childhood in a castle with a massive bedroom and gourmet meals and you prefer this?” Laxus asked, somewhat taken aback.

“What’s it to ya’?” Gajeel responded crudely. “That’s the thing. I’d like it if everyone wasn’t always on my back. I’ve been sneaking out of the kingdom since I was a kid, built myself this place and called it my second home...now it’s the only home I have I guess.”

Laxus noticed how low his voice got and furrowed his eyebrows. “The king...doesn’t want you back?”

Gajeel snorted, “Oh, he does alright. He doesn’t wanna rule his shitty kingdom for the rest of his life, I know. Someone’s gotta do it and he wants it to be me. He’s a dragon, and he’s an old one, but he’s got plenty of power over his people...but he doesn’t like ‘em much, I guess. He’s always preachin’ about how great a ruler I’ll be, and that I’ll never have to merge with another royal family because of how strong I’ll be on my own. When I left he sent his knights lookin’ for me. One of ‘em shot me with an arrow and left this,” he motioned towards his wound, “Funny considering they want me alive.”

“You don’t seem to worried about them finding you here.”

“...” Gajeel’s cocky grin disappeared, “I am. I can’t stay here for much longer,” He admitted before letting out a sigh and laying back down. He stared at the ceiling, the stones all converging towards a center.

Laxus looked up at the ceiling as well. It was sturdy, he wasn’t worried about any stones falling on him. Gajeel was well hidden, but he was probably found by the knights not too far from the hut; it was likely that he would be found soon, cornered in his own home.

“Don’t go and pity me,” Laxus turned to Gajeel who was looking at him and had noticed his concerned expression, “I’m fine on my own. I can go anywhere by myself, and I don’t need a place to stay.”

Laxus raised his eyebrows at him. He sure seemed confident in that statement. Laxus figured, in Gajeel’s shoes, it’d be nice to just have an actual roof over his head and have enough food to last him without worrying about being found. Still, he did not argue against Gajeel’s claim. Rather, he just nodded and continued.

“Fine, but how about a horse?”

Gajeel scrunched his face and Laxus tilted his head.

“Well, you’re probably gonna need one. Gonna need to travel far and fast.”

“I don’t want a horse,” Gajeel looked back at the ceiling, “I’m fine walkin’ on my own.”

Laxus rolled his eyes, “Suit yourself, then. You know how to find me if you ever change your mind?”

“We’re not done yet,” Gajeel snapped, stopping the other before he stood from his seat, “You said you were a dragon slayer too, yeah? You didn’t even bother to tell me yer’ damn name.”

“...You’re right,” Laxus settled back in his seat before clearing his throat, finally introducing himself properly, “My name is Laxus Dreyar. I’m the prince of Magnolia, and my grandfather, Makarov, is the king. I come out here just to be on my own sometimes, though I don’t think...I don’t think I could ever run from being a prince like you.”

“You’re grandfather?” Gajeel questioned, “You don’t have a dragon? Didn’t you say you were a dragon slayer?”

“I’m telling the truth,” Laxus raised his hands defensively, “It’s a long story, and I don’t want to get into the details...you won’t like the magic I use, though, I’m sure.”

Gajeel just looked at him curiously, waiting for Laxus to tell him. “I’m a lightning dragon slayer. I don’t think we’d fit together very well considering...you’re iron.”

He crossed his arms and smirked, “You trying to scare me? I could kick your ass.”

“I doubt that,” Laxus muttered as he stood from the wooden chair. He reached in his pouch again, pulling out a six spare arrowheads and handing them to Gajeel. His red iris’ seemed to light up for a second before he put back on his more intimidating face, taking the arrowheads from Laxus.

“Thanks,” he said under his breath, chewing on one of them already, “I...I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Laxus said, “Like I said, you know how to find me. You’re a dragon slayer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is up babey!!! Sorry about the delay in posting this, I like writing multiple chapters at once and posting them sparsely buuuut I got distracted with work. I promise more of these two in the next chapter and we'll introduce some new characters/settings as well in the fourth!


	3. The Horse Chapter

Laxus didn’t try to slip past the knights getting back into the kingdom. He figured his guards would be close to the area looking for him, and since the city was more awake and active, there was no point in trying to be sneaky, especially with his large form. The prince approached the massive wooden doors alone with a face that showed little emotion as he watched one of his guards scold the knights, long green hair frizzling due to stress. He saw this coming, a shiver of regret crawling up his spine.

He turned to Laxus the moment he could see him in his peripheral vision and sighed loudly in relief. “You’re majesty!” He called out for him, “Thank goodness you’re alright! You could have told us you wanted to leave--who knows what could be out there waiting for you my Prince--!”

“Stop worrying about me so much, would you, Freed?” Laxus told the shorter guard. He clamped his mouth shut and huffed as he stood up straight. Laxus turned to the other two flabbergasted knights who just stood there awkwardly for a moment before returning to their positions at the door, bowing respectfully as they welcomed back the prince. He said nothing as he passed the two, his guard right beside him.

They walked through the town, headed towards the castle. Freed made sure to keep the citizens at a respectful distance from Laxus, but Laxus didn’t seem to care. There were plenty of people calling out to him to get his attention, but he didn’t look at a single person until the two finally made it to the castle’s entrance. They were welcomed by two more knights, and the doors were opened for them.

Behind the door was a very short man, who looked as though he were losing his patience. Makarov’s face was quite red. Laxus just rolled his eyes.

“Laxus!” He yelled out, “Your guards have been looking all over for you! Where on earth have you been all day?”

“Out,” Laxus answered, walking past the man.

“Out? Is that all you have to say?” He quickened his pace and caught up to Laxus, “You know you can’t leave the castle willy-nilly! Like you aren’t a  _prince_ , for heaven’s sake!”

“I have a lot to think about,” Laxus continued walking, not giving the man a glance. He stopped, giving up on Laxus and sighing before turning to Freed and stopping him.

“Yes your majesty?”

“...Let the other two guards know the prince is back at the castle,” Makarov sighed, “You three are relieved of your duties for the evening. Seems he's not going anywhere else today.”

Laxus dropped his bag on the floor and sat on his bed. His room was massive, and yet he only seemed to fill up the corner of his room, by the bed. His bed was huge, his fur rug was huge, and yet his possessions were quite small. Alone with his thoughts again, he remembered how it wasn’t always like that.

His room used to be filled with valuables. If there was something he wanted, he’d get it. Makarov gave him anything, though Laxus now realized it was probably to get him to shut his mouth. Laxus tried getting his hands on the throne in the past, even going so far as to try to kill Makarov...but he was forgiven. Too quickly, he felt. His grandfather told Laxus that he was all he had, but to Laxus that didn’t mean anything.

Truly, he didn’t want to dwell on it. As he rested on his back, Laxus let his mind wonder to earlier that day. The other dragon slayer--Gajeel. He was admittedly still on the fence when it came to whether or not he trusted Gajeel, but for some reason he hoped he would see him again. He was on the run, he could be anywhere tomorrow. Though, Laxus remembered, he did offer him a horse for his journey. Perhaps he will see him again tomorrow.

It wasn’t late at all. He skipped dinner, too exhausted to eat anything. Laxus got up once to bathe and change into bed-wear. By the time he got back into bed the sun had finally met with the horizon, turning the sky into a bright-pink hue. Laxus would fall asleep listening to the city below his bedroom quiet down for the evening.

* * *

Gajeel wasn’t much for big crowds, especially considering he was a wanted man. He did his best to hide his face under the tattered green hood, keeping his eyes on the ground when he wasn’t glaring at someone who had bumped into him. Though if Laxus didn't know who he was...who's to know if anyone there did?  The thought made it easier to get through the busy crowd, but it didn't make the dragon slayer any more of a 'people-person.'It was early in the morning; there were workers preparing their shops for the day, moving around big boxes and wagons full of livestock and other goods. Everyone was busy. No one took a second to be bothered by the man’s presence.

He had to find Laxus, and to do that, he needed to remember his scent. They hung out long enough for Gajeel to remember. He smelled like the woods, mixed with some fancy cologne he must’ve had on at the time. As he walked closer to the castle, the scent got stronger. He looked up at the massive stone building and wrinkles his nose. So Laxus really was a prince. The castle certainly looked elegant, it’s massive wall surrounding it and pillars with gold accents impossible to miss. He rolled his eyes, continuing on. Laxus must be on the other side.

He encountered a corner of the massive wall between the castle and the town. Gajeel saw the blond, standing there patiently as he waited for him to appear. Laxus turned around and saw Gajeel walking up towards them As he got closer, Gajeel noticed a black equine by Laxus’ side.

“I figured you’d show,” Laxus said, a confident grin on his face.

“Yeah? And what if I didn’t?” Gajeel scowled as he pulled off his hood. He looked around, noticing no one around him. “There aren’t many guards around here, huh?” he muttered. Laxus shook his head.

“Not in this spot, no. Plenty around it, though so I don’t have a reason to worry.”

“...I don’t care about you,” Gajeel spat. Laxus only chuckled.

“Then I guess you don’t want Alu?” Laxus said as he raised the horse’s leash. Gajeel huffed, rolling his shoulders and snatching the leash from Laxus’ grasp. He approached the horse, looking into her eyes. She sniffed and nuzzled his face and Gajeel backed up at the sudden sensation. He stared at the horse awkwardly, slowly turning back to Laxus who was leaning comfortably against the wall.

“Think she likes you?” He asked.

“...I...guess…”

“So? You gonna head off?”

“...” Gajeel turned back to Alu. She hopped, moving her position to let Gajeel climb on her saddle. He rested his arm on the horses back, expecting to push himself up, but instead he stood there, not exactly knowing what to do next. He shot a glare at Laxus the moment he heard him snort.

“ _What_.”

“You know what you’re doing, right?”

“ _Yeah_.”

Gajeel turned back to the horse and tried pushing himself up. He found himself frozen, his foot placed on the stirrup. He was stuck sideways on the horse. Laxus struggled to hide his laughter and Gajeel noticed. In his attempt to get his foot out of the stirrup Gajeel fell off the horse and on his back, hitting the ground harshly. He cursed, slamming his fists on the cobblestone ground and Laxus bent over laughing.

The moment Gajeel broke free, he lunged over at the other prince, pinning him to the wall. Laxus’ eyes widened, but then he relaxed again. Gajeel tried to pull a threatening expression, but his face was flushed red. He was obviously embarrassed. The shorter dragon slayer pushed himself off of Laxus and crossed his arms.

“I don’t need your shit.” He said through his teeth.

“Sorry,” Laxus apologized, “So do you...have you ever ridden a horse, or…?”

“...No.”

Laxus smiled. Gajeel’s ruby eyes bore into him. It felt like they pierced his skin, but he shook it off and motioned for Gajeel to follow him. He did so, pulling his hood back on and awkwardly leading the new horse beside him.

* * *

They stood in a decently sized clearing in the forest, just enough room for Gajeel to practice, at least Laxus thought. Gajeel watched the other as he adjusted Alu’s saddle. As he stood there, silently he began regretting taking up the other prince’s offer. Though, he was a bit curious about Laxus. Could he really be trusted? Is this just a friendly gesture or all a ruse leading to Gajeel being turned in? His thoughts were interrupted when Laxus turned around, holding a hand out towards him.

He rolled his eyes, audibly exhaling before taking Laxus’ hand. “You could just let me figure it out myself,” he muttered.

“You will,” Laxus shrugged, “Come on.”

Hesitantly, Gajeel allowed Laxus to help him up on the horse. It was at this point he realized how intimidatingly tall he was. He looked tall before, but being right, right next to him made him feel...Gajeel’s face burned when Laxus grabbed his waist with one hand, lifting him up onto the horse. He was now sitting on Alu--who curiously sniffed the air, not paying much mind to the new weight on her back--frozen in place with flushed cheeks. Gajeel was just lifted up like nothing.

“What the hell ‘re you tryin’ t’ pull!?” Gajeel snapped at him, but he was ignored. He felt a hand on his back and it sent a shiver up his spine.

“Sit up straight. We’re gonna go slow.” Laxus stepped back, “Okay...when you want the horse to move, press against her sides with both of your legs.”

Gajeel pressed his lips together before looking down at the horse and doing so. Alu began to move, but very slowly. He felt like a child, being taught how to ride a horse for the first time. He felt some sort of anger for never being taught to ride a horse so he wouldn’t have to deal with this. On the other hand...Gajeel was riding a horse. It still felt like an accomplishment, when the horse’s slow movements turned into a trot.

“Pull the reins with your right hand to turn.”

He was turning. Laxus crossed his arms, fairly impressed. He was doing quite well, it seemed like he was a natural. Gajeel didn’t notice, however. He was riding a horse. After a while he found himself picking up speed, letting the horse pace around the clearing. It was almost like he clicked with Alu, the horse understanding his amateurish ques, taking him in the direction he wanted to go.

Gajeel stopped and managed to hop off the horse on his own, not landing in the most graceful way. He turned to Alu whose head had brushed up against his gently. Laxus raised his eyebrows.

“She likes you more than I thought she would.” He teased. Gajeel scowled at him.

Laxus looked up. It was already the afternoon. As much as he wanted to stay out in the forest for a bit longer, he knew he needed to return to the castle, and he knew Gajeel would need to get going. “You don’t need anything else?”

“I can handle myself, I’m a dragon slayer after all,” He answered, “...wait.”

Laxus turned his attention back to Gajeel. He was looking at Alu.

“What if I need to...run? From someone, or somethin’, I mean.”

“...You’ll know how when the time comes,” Laxus breathed, “I don’t imagine it’d be hard for you to figure out.”

Gajeel rolled his eyes, slowly pulling himself back on Alu. He looked out into the distance towards the dark of the forest. He had no real destination and nothing on his back but a few chunks of iron and a canteen, but Gajeel supposed he would be alright from here. He relaxed his shoulders and turned back at the other prince.

“This isn’t gonna be the last time I see you, is it?” Laxus asked.

“...Probably not.”


	4. Amethyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy Heartfilia joins the Knights of Fairy Tail. Gajeel meets with an old friend on his journey away from home.

On the least busy days the knights within Magnolia would gather in an old tavern. It was private, tucked underground, beneath their living quarters. Things would seem quiet until the doors were opened, unleashing the deafening cheers, clinking of glasses and thrown punches. The center of the tavern was the stage, and two young mages clashed, competing for strength and dignity.

One side had a pink-haired mage, his arms aflame as he charged towards the other mage, who wiped sweat off of his forehead before crossing his arms defensively. A shield of thick ice appeared, and the fiery mage was stopped suddenly. He huffed, punching his way through the shield and melting away the ice slowly. The very moment the shield finally shattered he saw an opportunity to throw a punch at the other’s face, but his target ducked and kicked his legs. He lost footing and smacked his face against the stone floor.

A loud “ooh” came from the crowd. “That’s gotta hurt!” “You better get up! I bet good money on you, Natsu!”

Growling, Natsu pushed himself up with his hands and lunged for the other man, bringing him down to the floor and pinning him. The crowd circled them even closer as Natsu practically clawed at him.

“You’re a cheater, Gray!” Natsu yelled out as his fists were finally stopped by firm hands.

“I’m the cheater? You fight like an animal, ya’ idiot!” Gray pushed him off and stood, brushing himself off.

The tavern doors swung open and everything was stopped. Two dames in full uniform stepped in, one of them removing her helmet. She huffed, glaring at the roughed up men who suddenly straightened up as if they weren’t just duking it out. The second knight walked in more cautiously, watching the other as she fixed her hair with a free hand.

“Today may be a day off but it’s not the day to be roughhousing!” She spoke, her voice booming and powerful, “The Fairy Tail Knights have a new recruit!”

There were some gasps and murmurs as the second dame stepped forward and removed her helmet, revealing blonde hair and a softer face.

“Her name is Lucy Heartfilia, and she will be working by our side to protect the king as well as protect Magnolia. I expect that you treat her with respect and authority, she is a strong mage and will be taken seriously. Welcome the newest Fairy!”

They cheer loudly. Lucy relaxes. She walked down the creaking stairway, past other knights who welcomed her as she went, her smile growing as she was deeper in the tavern. She was one of them, finally. She was truly one of them.

Lucy was suddenly stopped in her tracks by Natsu. He stood in front of her, staring, sniffing the air around her. Her happy look quickly turned into confusion and disgust as she pushed him away.

“What are you doing?” She asked, “Is something wrong with you?”

“You’re the new dame?”

“Yes...?” She crossed her arms and frowned, “Something wrong with that?”

Natsu continued eyeing her, curiosity overtaking him. Erza approached the two, a glare in her eyes that was ignored until Natsu finally looked up past the blonde’s shoulder. He reacted the moment he locked eyes with the knight, stumbling back and nearly falling into Gray.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She looked down at Natsu, he only smiled and laughed nervously. Erza huffed, turning to Lucy, “My apologies, I should have warned you about...Natsu.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She waved it off, “Is he a knight as well?”

“...Technically,” She sighed, “Natsu fights alongside us...but he is a Dragneel.”

Lucy’s eyes went wide and darted back to Natsu. He was about to pick another fight with someone sitting at the bar before he realized Erza was watching him again.

“He’s a Dragneel?” She said under her breath. Erza nodded.

“Natsu Dragneel is a dragon slayer, and a prince. When he was much younger, he would visit the kingdom with King Igneel, and he liked to sneak out of his father’s line of sight. He’d always be found down here, with us. King Igneel claims that Natsu is ‘too rowdy’ and ‘destructive,’ so he lets him stay with us. We’re like a family here.”

Lucy turned to Natsu one more time. He was dancing on the bar table, many people cheering him on. She smiled as he waved cheerily in her direction. She didn’t expect to meet a dragon slayer on her first day as a dame with the Fairy Knights, but he wasn’t someone to be feared like she predicted. Natsu was quite silly. Erza was friendly. Lucy felt warm. She was finally home.

“Is...he usually dressed like that? If 'dressed' is even the right word...” Lucy whispered, gesturing towards Gray. His clothes had been scattered during the fight. He stood coolly in nothing but his underwear.

Erza frowned. “Gray,” she called the mage, “Your clothes.”

-

Gajeel followed the creek within the deeper parts of the forest. It led to a large lake outside a cave. As he approached on his horse, slowly as to not make too much noise, He was hidden in the unnatural fog overtaking the area. He got off his horse and, despite the dense fog clouding his vision, made his way towards the edge of the lake. Gajeel sniffed around. _She’s here_.

The fog disappeared suddenly, revealing the lake’s clear water and the cave entrance. There was something waving through the water, exiting the cave and making its way towards Gajeel. As it came closer, blue hair and scales became more pronounced. The figure sheepishly peeked out of the water, staring at Gajeel. He snorted.

“Relax, y’know it’s just me, Juvia.”

She closed her eyes as she did so, emerging further out of the water. Half of her body was still submerged, but without the fog her glistening blue tail was very much visible within the clear water. Juvia smiled gently, moving long, wet, blue hair from her eyes to look up at Gajeel.

“Juvia has not seen you in a while, Gajeel-kun,” She greeted.

“Yeah, well,” Gajeel sat on the ground, “I’ve been busy.”

“What is that behind you?”

Gajeel turned to see Alu wandering, smelling the moss and looking at the strange critters. “That...would be my horse.”

“Juvia has never seen a horse before.”

“Juvia needs to get out more,” Gajeel muttered, “I managed to get my hands on one, I’m gonna need it.”

“You stole it?”

“I didn’t steal shit!” Gajeel said, a bit taken aback by the accusation, “I-someone...someone gave it to me. ‘Ts all you need to know.”

Juvia and Alu exchanged curious looks. Alu had such a long face, big black eyes and funny looking ears. It was nothing like the ‘horse’ Juvia imagined. She noticed Alu had various bags strapped to her and turned back to Gajeel.

“Why do you need a horse, Gajeel-kun?”

There it was, the reason he came here. He didn’t look at her. He scratched his head and sighed before finally answering, “I’m gonna...be out for a while. I’m runnin’ away from home.”

“Huh?” She jumped up, “Gajeel-kun is running away? But you are a prince?”

“Don’t wanna be,” He said, “And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of the shit the old man keeps givin’ me. It’s like...why the hell would you build a whole kingdom you never wanted to begin with, and then throw it all on someone who wants it even less? Bull. Shit.” Gajeel took a small rock and threw it out into the water as he finished venting.

“Juvia knows….but Juvia is also very worried.” Gajeel looked back down at Juvia’s saddened face before rolling his eyes. “Juvia knows you will be in danger wandering out there by yourself. Many people will be after you, including your father.”

“I can take care of myself.” He insisted. Juvia only sighed before turning around and swimming back towards the cave. Gajeel stood up to watch. 

The cave was dark, and it would be difficult to see without the eyes of a dragon slayer. He watched her lift herself back out of the water before reaching a cluster of crystals. She exhaled, and her hair began to glow and float about defying gravity. Slowly, she lifted her arms up, raising speckles of water from the creek, eventually forming a large mass. It engulfed the cluster and as she quickly stretched out her arms, it shattered. Her hair ceased glowing and dropped back down, and the water splashed down with the broken cluster of crystals. Juvia grabbed one that looked just right before swimming back to Gajeel.

She handed the purple crystal to him. “A piece of Amethyst. Wear this around your neck and bless yourself with prosperity.”

He looked confused as he took the Amethyst from her. “Prosperity?”

“Not wealth, necessarily, but success. Juvia wants you to reach whatever you are looking for; Freedom, peace, or to be as far away from royal life as possible...Juvia wishes that you will someday achieve it.”

Gajeel stared at it, clutching it in his hand and looking down at the mermaid.

“Juvia must return now. You should get going, Gajeel-kun. Your journey may be long.”

“Hmph,” he nodded, turning back towards Alu.

“Juvia hopes to see you again soon.”

“....Same to you.” Gajeel replied as he hopped on his horse. As he left the creek was hidden one again by the fog. Alu trotted along and Gajeel looked down at the purple stone. He though about the Iron Kingdom. They were probably all over the forest looking for him now. Truthfully, Gajeel had no idea where he was going to go next, but he hoped Juvia’s superstitions would actually grant him the safety wished upon him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad that these chapters have been pretty short, but it's mostly been exposition and world building. More characters are going to be introduced soon!


End file.
